Pope Leo XIV has approved the appointment of Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as dean of the College of Cardinals.
The Story
Pope Leo XIV has approved an appointment made by a group of senior cardinals to name Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as the new dean of the College of Cardinals, Vatican officials announced on Friday.
The appointment elevates Tagle’s role within the College of Cardinals and follows his selection to replace the 92-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Vatican said.
Tagle is 69 and heads the Vatican’s office for evangelization, according to the Vatican announcement.
The dean of the College of Cardinals has key responsibilities during a papal transition, including helping to run the closed-door meetings of cardinals before a vote is held to discuss the church’s needs.
If the dean is under age 80 at the time of a conclave, the dean also helps oversee the secret election held in the Sistine Chapel.
After a pope is elected, the dean asks whether the new pope accepts the job and what name he wants to use, the announcement noted.
The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV approved the decision by a half-dozen cardinals holding the most senior rank within the College, and that Tagle is the youngest member of that group.
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